Bridgestone-Firestone recalls 127,000+ tires

Bridgestone is recalling 127,000 faulty Firestone FR380 units.

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations has announced a recall of more than 127,000 Firestone tires. Specifically, the recall affects Firestone FR380 tires manufactured between September 9, 2009 and July 2, 2008. Nine years ago Bridgestone infamously recalled 6.55 million tires after multiple tread seperation incidents that often resulted in deaths. With such a highly-scrutinized safety record, BATO was quick to recall this latest batch of Firestone radials after NHTSA officials concluded that the tireswere produced with insufficient tread base gauge.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration determined that with continued use, the affected units could suffer groove tracking from excessive vibration. Groove cracking could then worsen until the tread distorted and eventually seperated, resulting in loss of vehicle control.

Bridgestone plans to notify the owners of affected vehicles and replace the tires free of charge. In addition, the company has committed to covering the costs of mounting and balancing the new units. Owners of Firestone FR380 tires who feel they might be affected by the recall should contact the company immediately. BATO can be reached at 1-800-465-1904 or by visiting www.firestonetire.com. It is important to address this issue and swap your radials as soon as possible if your vehicle is affected by this consumer recall.